Wine Tasting, Walking, Biking & Sea Car Tours
One of PubClub.com’s favorite places to visit is the lovely little city of Monterey, CA.
Clinging to the edge of Monterey Bay with its deep blue waters, kelp floating at the surface from the kelp forests below and sea otters laying on their back cracking shells, it’s an ideal California coastal getaway destination.
And after several dozen trips there, we’ve developed a kind of routine for activities, and now present our 5 favorite things to do in Monterey, many of which are either free or cheap.
How To Spend Perfect Days In Monterey
1,) Wine Tasting Without The Driving
Wine and wine drinking is huge in Monterey County. All you have to do is drive Highway 101 to see all the wineries. But you don’t have to worry about tipping back a few glasses and then driving, or have a DD, because there are several wine tasting rooms in the city.
Most of these are located in and around Cannery Row, which makes it an ideal activity after a brisk day of walking and exploring. One of PubClub.com’s favorites is Taste of Monterey, which has huge views of the entire Monterey Bay out its large windows.
Unlike neighboring Carmel, there is no Wine Walk Passport, so you pay as you go to each winery (usually $10 for a flight of 3-4 wines).
2.) Walk Along The Shore From Fisherman’s Wharf To Cannery Row
Monterey is so beautiful, you’ll want to slowly take it in, like taking deep breaths. The best way to do this is by taking a casual walk between Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row. Here, you’ll pass seals, sailboats and otters, scuba divers sunning on a lawn in San Carlos Park after a shore dive, a few historical markers explaining the history of Cannery Row and a tiny beach before winding up in “the Row.”
3.) A Picnic Lunch Over Monterey Bay
Grab a sandwich from one of the outdoor stands on Fisherman’s Wharf – PubClub usually gets a turkey sandwich from Fisherman’s Grotto for $7 – and park it on one of the park benches that overlooks Monterey Bay.
Monterey is a very mentally calming destination, and it doesn’t get more mentally calming than this in the area.
4.) Go For A Run/Bike Ride (Or Rent A Sea Car Tours)
PubClub likes to combine a little exercising with our socializing, and Monterey has great areas to go for a walk or a bike ride (rentals available on Cannery Row).
The aforementioned path between Fisherman’s Wharf and Cannery Row is great for both, and that path continues north all the way up to Seaside if you’re in really good shape.
Another fun thing is to rent a tiny yellow vehicle, the Sea Car Tours. Get in that thing and you can buzz all the way to Pacific Grove, Lover’s Point, the lighthouse, lookouts and have the entire scenic area within easy – and fun – reach.
5.) Go To Pacific Grove
Even more beautiful than Monterey is the neighboring community of Pacific Grove. In fact, this is one of the most gorgeous coastlines in all of California. Waves have battered the rocks by the shore to form all kinds of unique shapes and a coast road with a bike/running path brings out its full beauty.
As the land turns, there’s a small lagoon known as Lover’s Point (with a fantastic restaurant, Beach House in THE prime location) and this continues almost to the entrance of the 17-mile drive to Pebble Beach.
It’s stunning. And walking/running/biking/driving this area is free. So, too, is the parking.
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